The present invention relates to a contents sales method, a cyber mall system using such a method, and a storage medium in which its contents sales program has been stored.
With a spread of the Internet, a cyber mall based on the World-Wide Web (WWW) becomes possible to be established. In the cyber mall, in addition to articles, digital contents are also sold at present. The digital contents indicate a kind of contents (work) such as image file, audio file, software, or Web page of the WWW which can be delivered via a network.
There are two kinds of purchasing methods of the digital contents. The first method is a method of delivering a copy of purchased digital contents to a computer of a customer. According to the purchasing method, since the digital contents are delivered via the network, there is a possibility that the delivery fails. When the delivery of the digital contents fails, usually, the customer needs to re-execute the purchasing process. In the case where the purchase price has been already paid, however, it is necessary to enable the purchasing process to be re-executed without paying the purchase price again.
For example, in ASCII Digital Novels (http colon double slash www dot ascii dot co dot jp slash hirai slash). From which a novel can be purchased in a document file on a chapter unit basis, when a download of the document file fails, if the customer re-purchases it within 72 hours after the purchase, the customer is not billed again.
Similarly, in “gu-mantanya” (http colon double slash shop dot aplix dot co dot jp slash shops slash apjapan). From which images can be purchased on a file unit basis, when the download of an image file fails, if the customer re-purchases it within 72 hours after the purchase, the customer is not billed again. The re-purchase can be executed up to three times only.
In “buydirect.com ” (http colon double slash www dot buydirect dot com) from which software can be purchased on-line, when the download of software fails, if the customer re-purchases it within 30 days after the purchase, the customer is not billed again. Basically, the re-purchase can be executed up to three times only. When the re-purchase fails three times, if the customer informs customer service of such a fact, the number of times downloading can be made is increased.
According to the second method, the customer views the purchased digital contents via a WWW browser. According to such a purchasing method, when an access to a WWW page displaying the digital contents fails, the digital contents cannot be viewed. If the digital contents are, however, those of a regular subscription type like a subscription of a news service, there is no additional charge even if the contents are viewed again.